Aliyu Aminu Ahmed Leads a Movement to Expand Northern Nigeria’s Creative Economy

Growing recognition of the untapped economic and cultural potential within Northern Nigeria’s creative sector is driving a new wave of programs focused on preserving heritage, empowering young people, and building sustainable creative industries across the region. At the forefront of this movement is Aliyu Aminu Ahmed, whose work has increasingly focused on strengthening the artistic […]

Growing recognition of the untapped economic and cultural potential within Northern Nigeria’s creative sector is driving a new wave of programs focused on preserving heritage, empowering young people, and building sustainable creative industries across the region.

At the forefront of this movement is Aliyu Aminu Ahmed, whose work has increasingly focused on strengthening the artistic and cultural ecosystem of Arewa through platforms, community engagement, and institutional development.

Ahmed’s interest in art and culture spans many years, but his perspective deepened while working on a donor-supported programme aimed at creating employment opportunities for youth within the digital and creative industries. Through that experience, he became increasingly aware of the developmental and cultural gap between Northern and Southern Nigeria in the area of creative economy development.

“While working on youth employment and creative industry programmes, I realised that one of the major differences between Northern and Southern Nigeria lies in how creativity itself is appreciated, nurtured, and invested in,” said Ahmed.

“The South has intentionally developed its creative economy, while much of Northern Nigeria’s artistic potential remains underexplored.”

According to Ahmed, many misconceptions surrounding art in the North have historically limited broader participation and investment in the sector. However, he emphasizes that Northern Nigeria possesses a vast artistic heritage deeply rooted in culture, craftsmanship, and identity rather than idolatry.

“We already have a rich artistic tradition that belongs to us,” he said.

“From Islamic calligraphy, pottery, embroidery, weaving, architecture, leather works, traditional equestrian regalia, jewelry, and traditional textiles to artifacts and decorative arts, our culture is filled with creative expressions that deserve recognition and preservation.”

Driven by this conviction, Ahmed embarked on a journey to better understand the artistic identity and creative ecosystem of Arewa. What he discovered was not a lack of talent, but significant structural gaps limiting the growth and visibility of Northern Nigerian art and artists.

“The deeper I explored, the more I realised that the ecosystem itself is fragmented,” Ahmed explained.

“There are very few galleries dedicated to Northern Nigerian art, limited platforms for self-taught artists, and very little institutional support for creative development.”

In response, Ahmed established several projects designed to strengthen the ecosystem and create opportunities for emerging creatives. Among them is a dedicated gallery focused on promoting Northern Nigerian artistic expression, as well as “Art Jollof,” a movement created to encourage artistic appreciation, cultural participation, and creative engagement among especially Arewa people.

Recognizing the absence of large-scale platforms celebrating Arewa creativity, Ahmed also founded the “Arewa Art Fair,” a program aimed at showcasing Northern Nigerian artists and, more broadly, Nigeria’s cultural heritage and contemporary creative talent.

“This is bigger than art alone,” Ahmed stated.

“It is about identity, economic opportunity, cultural preservation, and creating a future where Northern Nigeria fully embraces and benefits from its own creativity.”

Ahmed believes the creative economy represents one of the most significant untapped opportunities for economic growth, women and youth empowerment in the region. He notes that the ecosystem surrounding art extends far beyond artists themselves and includes content creators, printers, curators, museums, tourism operators, architects, educators, auction houses, designers, craftsmen, archaeologists, and cultural preservation specialists.

“The opportunities within the creative economy are enormous,” he added.